Hmm Thanksgiving day and boy are we giving thanks!!!

Before I get to the actual Thanksgiving day festivities, a couple of things I left off regarding our Newfoundlands.

Actually they are pretty bright and pretty physical. Wizard (Gandolf the Grey Wizard) use to eat fruit out of the fruit bowl on the breakfast bar. We put it there because it was WAY to easy on the counter top.  He decided he really liked fruit so when we weren't looking he'd help himself to just about anything, except bananas, he didn't like the peel.

So we moved it to the TOP of the refrigerator, about 5 feet 6 inches above the floor. Well you guessed it, Wizard soon found it on top of the fridge he.  Stood on his back legs, and helped himself as he pleased..

But really amazing was Amanda.  She can literally open ANY door that's not locked, lever, door knob, screen door... Open in or opens out.  Well she can't open them anymore as she's to old to have much balance, but boy have I seen some jaws drop.

OK on to Thanksgiving...

Gabriel and I went to Loveland to go to a Colorado Eagles hockey game. James and Solitare work as off ice officials (not office). They got us front row, on the glass, seats from a friend of theirs that works as the team photographer. It was great fun, Eagle won 10 to 4. BUT we didn't get home until almost 1AM, James and Solitare came with us.

I woke up a few miserable hours later at about 5:30AM, tired and grouchy, back hurting from all the sitting.

I knew it was going to be a long day so i got started with my Thanksgiving day chores, cooking...
I just decided I'd start early, take my time and get it all taken care of without any rushing or hassles.

Susan fixed breakfast, good plan, James slept in, another good plan... Why you ask, well I didn't start the peach margaritas at 10AM and I had something to eat. Good thing to...

Got  the turkey and dressing ready and popped it in the oven by oh,  11:30 for a 3PM "dinner"!
It's going along pretty good, made the traditional guacamole, made the cranberry relish (turkeys cooking). Put the yams on to boil and finally stared the potatoes for mashing.  Going along pretty good, James had gotten up and mentioned the Peach Margaritas. OK I think I can handle one or two of those about now, mostly everything is going along great...

I'm in the kitchen checking the yams and I hear a strange noise, looked at the potatoes to see if they might be boiling over, nope... Hmmm, noticed a little smoke coming out of the oven door... FOOLISHLY flung the door open and it was like flashback, fire in the face.... OK the kids are gathering, the adults are wondering what's going on. I asked for the fire extinguisher I knew we DIDN'T have... Hmmm what to do... OK Get the kids outside, everyone outside. The smoke alarm goes off, dang... Susie and  Solitare start opening windows as I again fling open the door to try and get the turkey out. The grease fire died down just enough for me to reach in and pull it out. The dang cooking bag had burst and spewed grease everywhere, which of course started burning. Black smoke fills the kitchen and living room. hmmm... hmmm ...hmmm.

I slide the turkey out of the oven and thank the Lord the grease had mostly burned off

It turned out to be rather benign.  The bag kinda stuck on the the legs, but the turkey was nearly ready to come out anyway.  No real damage to the dinner...

Hmmm try and burn the house down on Thanksgiving Day. I was however thankful that I wasn't already two sheets to the wind, mostly because I had eaten the  fine breakfast Susan fixed, it really was quit tastey and didn't get started on peach margaritas or beer until James got up.  My lips weren't numb yet!!!...

Susie of course took pictures up to the time I tried to burn the house down. See pictures here

Yup, I think it's time  to pass  the baton to the younger generation, I've been doing this entirely too long... BTW they are willing it's just that Amanda doesn't travel well..